The invention relates generally to welding wire feed systems, and, more particularly, to sensing systems for monitoring a wire spool size during a welding operation.
Welding is a process that has become ubiquitous in various industries for a variety of types of applications. For example, welding is often performed in applications such as shipbuilding, aircraft repair, construction, and so forth. Such welding operations rely on a variety of types of equipment to ensure the supply of welding consumables (e.g., wire feed, shielding gas, etc.) is provided to the weld in an appropriate amount at the desired time. For example, metal inert gas (MIG) welding typically relies on a wire feeder to ensure a proper wire feed reaches a welding torch. Typically, parameters of the wire feeding operation are set prior to initiation of a welding operation. However, throughout the welding operation, wire is typically fed from a wire spool in the wire feeder to a welding device, and the fed wire is consumed in the welding operation. Unfortunately, as the wire is unwound from the wire spool and the wire supply diminishes, the operator may be unaware of the quantity of wire remaining on the spool. As such, in certain instances, the operator may continue to weld until the wire supply is exhausted, thus interrupting the welding operation. These instances decrease overall productivity and may lead to burn back occurrences. Accordingly, there exists a need for wire feeder systems that overcome these drawbacks.